
This is the Readme file for QInstaller, which installs Q[uick]Basic files directly from the clipboard and then runs them.

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How to use QInstaller:

To save and run a QBasic program from a web page, select the entire program and copy it to the Windows clipboard ([Control]-[C]). Then start QInstaller, which will save the program to your computer and run it with QBasic. I hope this will save everyone a considerable amount of their valuable time. {:-D) But please read the rest of the Readme for additional instructions.

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For NT, Windows 2000, and XP users:

You need to add a small program to Windows so programs in the NTVDM can access the clipboard. Download
-> ftp://ftp.muc.de/people/cfaerber/comp/xp/ntold09b.zip
and install NTOLDAPP.COM and NTOLDAPP.DLL to the system32 folder (probably C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32 or C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32). Then, in that folder, open AUTOEXEC.NT and add the two lines
NTOLDAPP.COM
IF ERRORLEVEL 128 PAUSE

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For all users:

Take QInstall.exe out of the the ZIP folder and place it on your default hard drive. To run programs as quickly as possible, create a shortcut to QInstaller, and place it in the Windows Quick Launch bar or the Desktop.

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For programmers:

By adding a line to the top of your QBasic programs, you can tell QInstaller where to place the file and what to call it. The line
' Hangman! Verion 1.0
tells QInstaller to name the program "Hangman" and place it in the user's preferred directory. The line needs to start with "' " and have an exclamation mark. The line
'\ITECH\MISC\HANGMAN\HANGMAN
at the beginning of a program tells QInstaller to install to C:\ITECH\MISC\HANGMAN\HANGMAN.BAS (It will use the default drive which is not always Drive C). It also makes any necessary folders, which would be ITECH, MISC, and HANGMAN. The line is not written into the program. If neither of these lines is at the top of the program, the program will be auto numerically numbered and saved into the default directory.

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Troubleshooting and customizing:

Errors are most likely caused by invalid data files. The data.txt file contains the number for auto naming programs, and the path for saving them. The launch.txt file contains to DOS command lines. The first one is used to launch programs, and the QBasic program name is added to that line. If you are lauching QuickBasic 4.5 or higher, you may need to add an /L switch to this line. The second line opens Notepad instead of launching the program if certain errors occur. You can change this, for example, to open a certain file with Notepad, or to use a different text editor. Log.txt contians a list of all of the saved programs, so modifying this file currently has no effect.

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Limits:

QInstaller only works with programs under about 16K. Larger programs will prevent the clipboard from opening or cause ERROR 14 (out of string space). When this happens, QInstaller opens Notepad, so you can manually save the program. Fortunately, at least 95% of programs will be small enough to automatically install. {:-D)

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Thanks:

Thanks to /\lipha for clipboard reading routines, and thanks also to everyone else at TQBF.


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(C) 2006 i-TECH and Kristopher Windsor
Support at kristopherwindsor@yahoo.com